Youth Wrestling Team Loses Practice Facility After Coach Is Accused Of Being Racist On Facebook

NEW EAGLE (KDKA) — A Washington County volunteer wrestling coach in the Ringgold School District has been banned from using school facilities after posting a comment that caused a stir on Facebook.

Doug Conroy is facing accusations of being racist, but he says the situation has been blown out of proportion.

“The woman who claims to be the aunt of the man I was speaking of, said I had come up with a creative way to call her nephew the ‘N’ word,” Conroy said.

Conroy is the wresting coach for the Little Rams Wresting Program. His teams, with kids ranging from kindergarten through the sixth grade, practiced at Ringgold High School.

But, after getting a letter from the district’s superintendent, the organization is on longer allowed to use the facilities. It reads, in part:

“Your organization shall not be permitted to use any of the Ringgold School District facilities for any reason beginning immediately.”

Conroy says the letter is a result of a comment he made on Facebook after watching a video. It shows two 18-year-old students in the district allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old student with special learning needs. The video shows the student being kicked in the back.

“I said that the two men that assaulted the other man were thugs and they deserve what punishment was coming their way,” said Conroy.

So, for now, the more than 60 kids in the Little Rams program have no place to practice as long as Conroy is a part of the program.

But Conroy says he will not taking this lying down. He says he already has support from the community through a letter-writing campaign to the superintendent ,and also phone calls to the district.